Steeling Her: A Romance Novel

Nick

“Why on earth do you watch this crap?” I ask the TV, but Danielle answers. I’m only here so I can see Carter today. I haven’t seen her since the party, and I know I sound like a pussy, but I miss her.

“Because I literally can’t with my anxiety.” I laugh at her trying to copy the Kardashian’s tone. So valley girl, not that I would know because I haven’t heard one, but in my own head, that’s what it sounds like. Haley has rushed off to a class and won’t be done until four today.

I was bored, and I’m kind of trying to avoid Maya. She’s been texting me nonstop, so much that I’ve decided to turn my phone off completely. After what happened two nights ago, I’ve been trying to stay away from getting the shitty end of her wrath.

The house has been tense too. Ryan and I can’t be in the same room unless there are at least two others in case a fight breaks out between us. Insults have been thrown at each other from every angle, and the guys are sick of it. It’s affecting our team play. I almost avoid passing to Ryan, and because he’s a wide receiver, I have to when I have no other option.

Coach noticed it too. He called both of us aside to grill us and we both couldn’t even look at each other or him. He sensed something happened between us and warned us that it better not be over a girl. He noticed the bruises and cuts on our faces and knew instantly what we did to each other, but he let us off with only a warning. If the practice was the same as yesterday’s, then we’re benched. Both of us.

“Seriously, you watch anymore of this shit, your brain will turn to mush.” I turn my phone back on to see message after message from Maya as well as Haley complaining that Maya is messaging her too. This is another reason why I don’t do girlfriends: they get too clingy. And Maya is clingy as fuck.

Once the door swings open, I know it’s Carter and turn to face her over my shoulder. She has her eyes wide as she looks at me, then tilts her head, questioning why I’m here. I can feel my face light up in amusement and she smiles back at me, but I notice how pale she is. Her eyes bright contrasted worryingly against her white skin. She looks like a white walker right now.

“You alright? You look really pale.” I ask her as I stand up, and she nods.

“Yeah, no, I’m not feeling great today. I think I’m going to lay down for a couple of hours? I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“You still feeling sick?” Danielle walks over to her after noticing how ill she looks. Bobbing her head around, she sets her bag down beside the TV and starts walking into her room to go to sleep.

“I’m sorry. I know I’m being rude right now, but I just can’t stand any longer. I don’t feel good at all,” she apologizes before giving us a small smile with a wave and shutting the door.

“Hey, do you mind keeping an eye on her? She was up all night getting sick and had a bad fever earlier, so I’m going to run to the grocery store to pick up some medicine and chicken noodle soup for her. It always worked for me.” I nod as she gathers her purse and keys while heading towards the door. “Oh, and make her a hot water bottle too. She lives for that. She’s always cold.” She smiles and leaves me standing in the living room with the TV still running in the background.

“I can do one better.” I smile to myself. I walk over to her door and knock, this time laughing a little at the memory of the last time I barged in and saw everything. Not that I’m complaining, it was definitely a sight I wouldn’t mind seeing again.

“Come in,” she says lightly. I twist the handle down to open the door. I see her pulling blankets on her body as she settles herself in her bed. “I see you knocked this time,” she teases me as her teeth chatter. I walk over to set myself beside her, smiling at the fact she’s in a teasing mood despite the fact that she’s sick. I rest my hand on her forehead and feel her skin burn up.

“Jesus, Carter, you’re really hot.” I widen my eyes at my choice of words before she lies down and giggles at me. I lean my head back at how much she makes me say the stupidest things. I would have said that to plenty of girls before I met her, but with her it’s so different. I can’t explain it. “I meant you have a fever . . . I mean . . . well, you are . . . never mind,” I stutter out.

I tuck her in and lift myself off the bed to close the door. I take my shoes and hoodie off. My shirt lifting in the process and giving her an eyeful of what I’ve got. She’s seen it before, but I don’t mind her seeing it again. Peeling back a layer of blanket, I slip in beside her and notice that her body is freezing. This isn’t right. What is happening to her body?

“What are you doing?” she asks so delicately.

“I’m keeping you warm. I can assure you, I’m better than a hot water bottle.” I wink at her, making her laugh once more. Am I crazy? Yes, but this is what she does to me.

I’m lying in bed with her. Nothing sexual, just simply lying with her, and I love it.

Woah, Nick, chill. The “L” word isn’t in your vocabulary unless directed toward a family member.

She shuffles her body closer to mine. I wrap the both of us up, guarding her as she shivers next to me. “Thank you,” she whispers to me, and I pull her tighter to my body, trying to get her to warm up. It’s not long before I hear her soft breathing next to me, and I involuntarily kiss her hair and stroke it to soothe her. It’s not long before I drift off to sleep.

I didn’t realize it until I heard a throat being cleared over by the door. I open my eyes to see Danielle standing there and leaning on the frame. A smug smile is on her face as I lift my head to see who had caught me cuddling Carter.

“Cozy?” she teases, and I flop my head back down on the pillow, groaning now that I’ve been caught by her of all people. She won’t let me live this down, she’s like the female version of TJ. “You’ve been asleep for a few hours, she needs something to eat. I have soup ready if you want some as well?” I nod, thinking that it’s a good idea. I sit up a little and hover of Carter’s body and notice she’s still very cold but has small beads of sweat coating her face. I stroke her cheek gently to wake her up.

“Carter?” I whisper close to her ear but there’s no movement. “Carter?” I say a little louder and tap her hand, feeling that it’s freezing. “Carter?” Louder again, and Danielle steps into the room. I’m not getting any response from her and I’m starting to get worried.

“Carter!” I raise my voice—still no response. I look over at Danielle, who is frozen by the door. “Carter! Come on, wake up for me . . .” I shake her a little, then keep shaking her, but she’s not waking up. “Carter, come on, shit!” I tap her cheek trying to get any movement from her and I’m not getting anywhere. I’m starting to panic and so is Danielle. My heart is pumping into overdrive as I’m beginning to internally freak out.

I fish out my phone and call the one person who might be able to help in this situation. “Get me a cold, damp towel!” I order Danielle but she’s shocked and is just standing there. “Danielle!” She snaps out of it and runs to the bathroom. Pressing call, I listen to it ring against my ear.

“Come on, pick up! Pick u—” I rest my head against her boiling forehead, praying for someone who can help me.

“Hello?”

“Cas! I need your help! Carter is sick and she’s got an fever, but she’s freezing, and she’s not waking up! What do I do?” You can hear the panic in my voice.

“Okay, okay! Calm down! Erm, how long has she been like this?” she asks me, and I rack my brain, thinking how long she’s felt this way.

“Well, she’s been tired for the past week, but it only got really bad in the past few days.” Danielle rushes back into the room and places the towel on her forehead, her eyes wide and her body shaking. Danielle has now lost the color on her face, and it looks like she’s going to collapse any minute now.

“Okay, Nick, I need you to listen to me. If she’s not waking up, you need to get an ambulance for her. NOW!” I hang up and dial 911.

“Is she going to be alright, Nick?” Danielle stares at her while she asks me. Her once confident figure is hunched and shaking uncontrollably as she stares at her washed out roommate lying next to me.

“I don’t know, Danielle.” I’m shaking as I watch the girl who was just beside me lay unconscious as her face turns nearly blue.

“Nine one one, what’s your emergency?” That was the last thing I heard before I zoned out with shock. The next moment, I see a man and a woman in paramedic uniforms racing into the room and pulling me away from her. I watch them check her pulse and lay her on her back to check on her airways. I feel my heart pumping at the sight of her. I run my hands through my hair out of stress, hoping she’s alright.

“Sir, what’s her name?” the female paramedic asks me.

“Carter Steel . . . Is she going to be alright?” I ask one of the paramedics, hoping they could answer me.

“We’re not sure, she’s not responding. We need to have her checked at the hospital.” the male paramedic responds. I nod and see Danielle on the verge of crying. I rush to comfort her. “Are her parents nearby?” the male paramedic calmly asks me. I shake my head.

“They’re in New York—”

“I can call them.” Danielle’s voice is shaky and she notices it toward the end, so she clears her throat. She nods, and they carry her down the hallway on a stretcher. I put my shoes back on and rush out behind them.

“What hospital are you bringing her to?” I question and the female shouts up the crowded stairs to tell me where I need to go. I rush back to the room and grab Danielle’s hand, pulling her down the stairs and through the crowd, who are whispering and gossiping about what just happened. I rush out of the dorm building, and see the blue and red lights attract our attention. I then see TJ jogging over to me.

“Yo! Who’s the ambulance for?” he asks nonchalantly but I’m about to give him a wake up call.

“Carter, she didn’t wake up,” I respond quickly.

“What? Fuck! Are you serious?” he replies in shock.

“I’m hardly fucking joking, TJ!” I boom back at him and he flinches at my sudden outburst. I make my way to my car with Danielle. The anxiety is getting to me. Not knowing if she’s going to be okay is freaking me out. Everything is happening too fast right now and I’m processing none of it. The look on her face when she was just lying in bed tore me in half.

I can’t lose her.

“Nick,” Danielle whispers beside me and rests her hand on my arm and I face TJ who looks worried too.

“I’m sorry. I-I’m just worried, TJ. I need to see if she’s okay. You didn’t see how she looked . . .Listen, you get Haley and meet us at Baptist Memorial North!” He nods and pats my shoulder before jogging away. I watch his figure leave and see Maya standing there with shocked look on her face in the crowd that has gathered outside. I don’t have time for her, I need to see if Carter is alright. “Hop in,” I order Danielle, who is still in a daze. “Do you have her parents’ number? I can call them if you want?” She nods and scrolls through her phone, looking for a number. She calls it and I take her phone and hold it with one hand. I put it on speaker. If I’m caught doing this by the cops, I’m so screwed.

“Hello, Elaine Steel speaking,” her mom answers and I sigh in relief that she didn’t give me Carter’s father’s number.

“Hi, Mrs. Steel? It’s Nick and Danielle here!” I begin.

“Oh, hi there! How are you both?” Her sweet voice soothes me, just like Carter’s. I have to tell her now. I hate to break her heart, but she needs to know what just happened.

“Um, well, see, I’m calling you because Carter has been rushed to hospital right now—”

“Oh my God! What happened? Is she alright?” I can hear her fumbling around in the background down the line.

“We tried to wake her up because she wasn’t feeling well, but she wouldn’t wake up so I had to call an ambulance. She’s on her way to Baptist Memorial now!” I can hear the sniffles and panic set in.

“Oh no, my poor baby . . .” I can hear her start to cry. I feel bad that she’s so far away from her daughter. I know if it was Haley or me in a similar situation, my mom would also be panicking. “I’m booking a flight. I should be there by morning! I’ve got to call her brothers and her dad!”

“I will call you if there’s any update on her, but I doubt they’d tell us since we’re not part of her family . . . but you can call the hospital yourself if you can. We’re on our way now to keep her company if she wakes up. I’ll look after her, Mrs. Steel,” I promise her. I’ll be there for her daughter until and after she arrives at the hospital.

“Alright, thank you both for calling me! I’ve got to go and tell the others! Text me updates if you find out anything! Please look after my baby!” She hangs up before I could reply. She’s means a lot to me; a lot more than she thinks.

I speed down the street, heading to the hospital. I’m not sure how long it took us, but we’ve arrived and I park up in the nearest spot. Both of us hop out of the car and make a break for the hospital entrance. Seeing the reception, I run over and breathlessly say, “Carter Steel, she should’ve been brought in a few moments ago?” The young woman looks at me in a daze. Her smile comes out and she starts to compliment me.

“Listen here, lady, my friend is seriously sick, and we need to know where the fuck she is. Now, are you going to tell us and stop flirting with him or do I have to ask someone else for help?” Danielle barks at her and the receptionist glares at her. But if she wasn’t going to say it, I was. I need to find Carter.

“Second floor, room 256.” We both nod and power walk to the elevators. One is immediately ready with people getting on. Danielle presses the button and we wait in silence. I’m getting impatient. As soon as the doors part, we run down the hall and toward her room. As soon as we get close to it, nurses and doctors are flying in and out of her room, with beeps coming out of the doorway.

“Are you with Miss Steel?” We nod at the nurse holding the clipboard. “You need to wait out here,” she orders us and then walks back in.

Once another nurse comes out, I stop her and ask, “How is she? Is she alright?” I ramble off quickly to get something. The sympathy in her eyes tells me it’s not something I’m going to want to see or hear.

“Not great, I’m afraid. Hang in there.” she runs back to the nurses’ station to pick up something and walks back inside, shutting the door. I see drips going in, one after the other, and I start to panic. I feel my breathing get uncontrollable at the thought of something bad happening to her. She can’t leave me, she just can’t. She’s too young for this to be happening. She’s got a lot more to give in her life, I know it.

We stay in the waiting area near her door. I’m pacing the floor, back and forth, back and forth. That’s when I see Haley and TJ run towards us. Once Haley reaches me, she engulfs me in a hug and immediately breaks down. “She’s going to be alright, isn’t she Nick?” she asks me, and I bite my lip, unsure of what’s going to happen. I’m on edge, and I need to know what’s going on with her. I pull away from her and walk to the nearest doctor but get told to talk to a nurse about her.

“Please, I need someone to tell me what’s going on with Carter Steel. Her mom asked me to keep her updated as she gets here.” The brown haired nurse looks taken back by my scorned tone. I’m upset, I need something from them; anything.

“Are you family?” she asks me and I stupidly said no. “Then I can’t divulge that kind of information. It’s confidential. I’m sorry.”

“FUCK THIS!” I yell out loudly. I’m about to punch something if I don’t get anything.

“I’m sorry, sir, but if you don’t calm down I’m going to have to call security.” I glare at her and take a seat next to Haley, who is shaken right now. I can’t comfort anyone, I’ve got too much going on in my head. I’m swimming in my thoughts, borderline drowning. Nurse after nurse, I see them going to her room less frequently. I then notice her being wheeled out in a gurney.

“Excuse me, where is she going?” I ask the nurse, who spins around. Her hair is tied back in a messy bun and she has heavy bags under her eyes.

“She’s being moved to a private room. Her parents called and asked us to move her to a specialized room. She’ll be in room 708.” I thank her and watch Carter being wheeled away from me. She looks better, but looks can be deceiving. She has a lot of drips surrounding her, but not all are connected to her. The beeping heart monitor lets me to know that’s she’s alive. The thought of losing her has my heart sinking.

“Oh my God!” Haley gasps beside me. It looks bad. Carter has tubes connected to her arm and a breathing mask to help her.

We all trek up to the seventh floor and see that it’s fancy and plush, with leather sofas instead of the wooden chairs down on the second floor. One doctor goes into her room, and we all stand outside the door, watching him to see if we can make any sense of what’s going on.

This floor is less hectic and more relaxed. It’s sort of psychologically calming me down. I’m not as worried as I was downstairs. Hours later, the doctor and nurse finally come out to greet us. He smiles at us and keeps walking, but I have enough balls to stop him and ask for any information.

“Is she alright?” I beg him for something, anything to ease my mind.

“I’m sorry, it’s confidential.” He writes something down on a clipboard.

“Please, I need to know if she’s alright. I can’t tell her parents nothing. They need to know—” He folds a piece of paper over and then hands it to me. I smile at his subtlety and read the note.

She has a virus and her body has collapsed. She’s currently taking antiviral medication and fluids through the drips at the moment.

I ask Danielle for her phone back and immediately start to type it out to her mom to ease her own mind after saving Carter’s mom’s number in mine.

“What does it say?” Danielle asks me, clasping her hands in front of her, almost praying that it’s good news. I’m not sure if what I’ve been given is good or bad.

“He says that she has a virus that made her body give in and stop working, so they put her on antiviral meds to see if it will help.” I hug her because she saw all of this and rub her back to try to soothe her overactive mind. She was so scared when she was just lying there. I was terrified when she wouldn’t wake up, but she was about to collapse herself.

“She’ll be alright though, right?” Haley asks me through TJ’s arms that’s surrounding her. I can see my sister visibly shaking. I shrug since I don’t know how to answer her, but I feel my mind starting to wander and think of the worst. I don’t know what I would do if they told me she wouldn’t be alright. Maybe I caused her body to overheat?

“Nick, man, what happened?” I notice that TJ and I are alone now. I sigh and replay the moments in my head.

“I-I . . . She . . .” I run my hands through my hair haphazardly. “I fell asleep with her to warm her up and Danielle came in to wake us up because she made her soup. The next thing I know, she’s not waking up and I’m calling Cas for help. Then I called an ambulance and now I’m here . . . hoping she’s alright. TJ, what if she’s not alright?” I look to my best friend for help that I know he can’t give me. I want answers, and he can’t give me that either.

“She’ll be alright, Nick, the doctors are taking care of her. She’s a Steel, for crying out loud, they’ll be bending over backwards for her father. Just be there for her when she wakes up, alright?” I nod, knowing he’s right. I’m sure her dad has called in a few favors for the sake of her health. He’ll do anything for her. I know I’d do that if I was in his position.

All of us are sitting in the waiting area hours later, waiting patiently for any word from the doctors or nurses. I hear a woman crying as she runs towards the nurses’ station. A familiar cry too.

“Where is she? Where is my baby?” Then three sets of hard footsteps follow behind her. “Carter Steel! NOW!” she booms, panicking at the young girl, and I make my way over to Austin Steel because he’s the nearest to me. I put my hand on his shoulder and his head whips around. Once he recognizes me, I point to her room immediately.

“That’s her room there.” The family turns around to face me and follows my finger. Her mom takes me by surprise when she decides to wrap me up in a hug. I stumble back a little before getting a stable footing. I tap her shoulders, unsure of how to approach this. The three men walk over to the door while Carter’s mom has streams of tears down her cheeks.

“Thank you so much, Nick! Thank you for looking after her. It means the world to me!” Her shaky smile makes me want to return it while she’s cupping her hands around my face.

“I’ll always look after her, Mrs. Steel. Always,” I assure her, and she has a glint in her eye that reminds me of Carter. They look so alike, and the more I look at her, the more I see similarities. She leaves us out here. TJ walks over to me and wraps an arm around my neck.

“Don’t tell me you’re starting to have a thing for Mrs. Steel now?” The smirk is evident in his tone, and I try not to laugh at him trying to take my mind off everything.

“You’re such an idiot, TJ.” I punch him on his chest, making him wince a little.

“You’re right, you only have your eye on one Steel.” He winks, and we walk back to the girls who are still sitting in a daze. I smack him on the back of his head. Both Danielle and Haley are staring at the wall opposite to them.

“Why don’t you take these two down for food? I’ll stay here in case her parents come out with an update.” TJ nods and coaxes the two girls to their feet. Danielle protests for a while, unsure of whether to leave Carter alone, but I remind her that Carter’s with her family. Once she understands that, she leaves hesitantly. And once they’re out of sight, I slump down on the sofa once more, racking through my brain. This is so hard. Waiting for something—preferably good news—is so hard.

The clock ticks above the vending machine that had a buzz humming in the silence. The lights were bright, and I look around to see that this hospital is spotless. Hearing the door open behind me, I swivel around to see her dad. I stand up to my feet and greet him. When he walks over to me with purpose evident in his step, I suddenly feel nervous.

“I need you to tell me what happened.” He slides into the space next to me, and I sit with him and notice the Steel family coming out and joining us.

Fuck. I’m so fucked.

“Nick, come on, stay with me. I need you to fill us in on what happened.” Rodger taps my cheek, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“I . . . um . . . Well, Carter came home from classes, and me and Danielle noticed that she was a little paler than usual. She’s been saying that she’s been exhausted the past week. Nobody thought it was anything serious because she treated it as if it was nothing.” Hearing a sigh leave his mouth, I carry on, knowing I’m about to get a beating from her father and two brothers. “Then she said she wanted to lie down, and Danielle went out to get her soup and medicine . . . and . . . and I . . .” I run my hands through my hair, uncomfortable with what I’m about to say. I need to prepare for impact.

“And what? Come on, talk to me, boy! I need to know what happened!” He winds his finger around to get me to keep going, but I bite my lip and look to Mrs. Steel for help. All she sends me is a curious look.

“I went into her room . . . and I layed with her to keep her warm. She was freezing cold, and I knew I shouldn’t have, but I did . . .” The tense faces tell me that he and her brothers aren’t happy. “I know. I should’ve asked you first but I just didn’t think that time. I just . . . I’m sorry . . .” I see her mom sweetly smile at me, telling me it’s alright. She leans forward to rest her hand on my own, which are shaking. I’m fucking terrified right now.

“Continue.” Her dad’s words makes my eyes dart back to him. He’s gone all papa bear on me right now, and I’m ten seconds away from getting a punch to the face. I can feel it. I know I still have the bruises on my face from Ryan too, which only adds to the embarassment.

“I fell asleep with her, and Danielle woke us up to get her to eat something. I agreed with her and I tried to wake her up. I kept calling her name but she wasn’t answering me. Then I called my friend who is taking up nursing in college and she advised me to get an ambulance because she wasn’t responding. So I called them, and they got to her quickly and took her away in the back of an ambulance and to this hospital. I followed her and called your wife to tell her about what had happened to Carter.” I turn to her mom and continue the story, “I know I told you I’d keep you updated, but they didn’t give me anything other than that message I sent you . . .”

“It’s alright sweetie, I appreciate you for trying.” She smiles at me and I replicate her.

“And why were the nurses threatening to call security?” Rodger continues, and I immediately blush from the memory. How’d he find out about that?

“I wasn’t getting answers, just doctors and nurses walking in and out of her room, and I was getting frustrated that I couldn’t keep you in the loop. It was wrong of me, I just snapped and couldn’t control it.” I sigh, leaning forward on my legs and running my hands through my hair for the millionth time tonight. I’m pretty sure I look like a mess right now, but I couldn’t give two fucks. “I’m sorry,” I apologize once more and bow my head to lessen the beating I’m about to get. I’ll take it if it means I can see her or know she’s alright. “Is she alright?” I ask while still looking at the floor.

“She’s stable. She has strong antibiotics at the moment. She caught a virus that got worse as the week went on, that’s why she was feeling so tired. She has to stay here for a while, but the doctors said that she’s responding to them. She’s always had the worst immune system of us, but she’s fighting it like the daughter I raised. You don’t need to worry about her, Nick. That’s our job.” Mrs. Steel laughs a little, lightening the atmosphere. I still don’t have the courage to look up and face her, but the amount of worry that I have in me is considerably less.

“Can I talk with you alone?” I wasn’t sure who that question was for until I look up and see her dad staring at me. I nod and he walks away from the rest of the family. I follow behind him, wondering about what he wants to talk about. Once we’re away from everyone, I start to feel my nerves acting up again. “Look, kid, I know you’re a great player, both on and off the field.” I sigh at what he’s implying. “I don’t want my girl hurt because you can’t keep it in your pants. You following?” I nod and look down at the floor again. “Look, I like you, Nick, but I don’t want her hurt; not again. It’s twice that I’ve had to pick up the pieces from those guys using her to get to me. I know there’s something there between you two. I know you like my daughter, and I know she likes you. I can see it with my own eyes, I’m not blind. So you hurt her, I hurt you. Got it? My boys have nothing on me, I can assure you.” I understand what he’s trying to say clearly.

“I understand, Mr. Steel. I know I have a track record in college; I’m by no means proud of it. I respect your daughter, and I do like her—very much, but I don’t want her or you thinking I’m using her to get ahead in the NFL. If I’m good enough, I’ll make it on my own,” I reply.

“She’s my baby girl, Nick, don’t hurt her, or you’ll be tasting your own shit for the rest of your life.” I widen my eyes at the threat he just made. I do not want to mess with him, or any of the Steels for that matter. “You think I’m scary? Piss off my wife and you’ll know all about it.” He pats my shoulder and walks past me, leaving me standing there alone with my own thoughts.

Fuck me, I better tread carefully with this girl. I don’t know what I want from her though. That’s the hard part.

What do I want with her? Do I want more than just hanging out and kissing her? The thought doesn’t scare me. I definitely want more from her, but what type of more? Not just me, her, and the bed. A little more, but how much more?

What the fuck are you looking for, Nick?

I bang my head lightly against the wall and decide to make my way back over to the sofa where they still are. Her mom sends me a large grin then faces her husband to nudge his shoulder. He kisses her cheek and she whispers something to him, making him nod and smile. Her brothers are smirking at me, and I raise an eyebrow at them, then we hear voices come back.

Haley, of course, squeals at the sight of Austin again and runs to sit next to him. TJ rolls his eyes at her antics. Haley smiles at Austin and he sends one back to her. Once I see the doctor walk into her room, I notify her parents who get up immediately. Danielle stands shocked still by the vending machine. Chris stands up and walks her over to the sofa, telling her to sit down. He crouches down in front of her, telling her to take some sips of her soda she had bought. He’s smiling at her, and I watch how they interact with each other. TJ glares at Austin beside Haley while he’s eating some chips.

What the hell is happening?

This is so weird to watch.

It’s probably just people comforting each other, which I’m not used to seeing. Yeah, that’s probably it.

“Why the fuck are you nodding?” TJ laughs at me. I shake my head, trying to stop my brain from thinking. It needs to stop.

“Nothing.” I lean my head back, resting it on the back of the sofa and slump down.

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not,” TJ mumbles into his open bag of chips as he munches on them with no mercy, stuffing handfuls of them into his fat mouth. I stare at him in awe that he’s able to fit that much food in. It’s not the first time I’ve seen him eat like this, but every time he does, it still stuns me. “What?” he asks innocently as he continues to chew what’s in his mouth.

Shaking my head again, I lean back to close my eyes for a while, not realizing I had drifted off.

“Nick, Nick!” I feel someone shake me out of the wonderful dream I was having. I open my crusted eyes to see Carter’s mom sitting next to me with a blanket in her hands. I rub my eyes so I can see past the blurriness in them and adjust to the bright lights even though it’s still dark out.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I fell asleep.” I let out a large yawn to her while covering my hand over my mouth.

“It’s fine, maybe you should all go home. You all look tired. I’ll be here for the night with Rodger. I’ll message you all if I hear anything more, but the doctors said that she’ll be alright. A day later, and it would’ve been too late. You saved her, Nick. I can’t thank you enough for saving my baby girl! She wouldn’t have made it if you waited any longer!” Her tears drips down her cheeks, and I bite my lip, feeling awkward in this situation. I never know how to comfort a girl when she’s upset and crying. I usually just hug them so I don’t have to see how upset they are. It usually works, but it’d be weird if I did that to the mother of the girl I like. Wouldn’t it?

“No, Mrs. Steel, I didn’t sa—”

“You did, Nick. If it weren’t for you and Danielle she . . . I can’t think about that because she’s still here, with me. She’s still here because of you. Thank you so so much.” She stands up and squeezes my hand—a tight warm squeeze. It reminds me of my mom. “Oh, and I know my husband talked to you. You don’t need to worry about me, I know he threatened you with that one. I can go all mama bear on her like I do with my boys, but I think I you’re different.”

She winks at me and turns around again only to face a bored looking TJ. She can only talk to me because the other two are still asleep; Haley sleeping on TJ and Danielle sleeping on Chris, who is also asleep. “You guys need to get some sleep! Come back when your classes are finished tomorrow. You’re welcome anytime, even outside of visiting hours!” She bounces her hip off the door, going back into Carter’s room. I watch the door voluntarily shut behind her.

“She’s right, we should take them back and get some rest,” TJ agrees out loud, and we both stand up. I walk over to tap Danielle awake and she opens her eyes and begins to panic again.

“Is she alright? What happened? What’s going on? W—”

“It’s alright, she’s good. We’re just going to bring you home so you can get some rest. Mrs. Steel said we can come back tomorrow after classes to see her. We can’t stay here all night, Danielle. You look really tired.” She nods without arguing with me on it. She’s exhausted; we all are. After all the emotions that were swimming around after the scare we had, it’s taken its toll on us. The effects are visible on our faces.

I tap on Austin to say goodbye to him and ask him to keep me updated on his sister to which he nods tiredly at me in response. I need to know she’ll be alright if I want to get any rest for the week. I’ll be up all night if I don’t get anything. It seems like he knows this, because he sends me a small smile communicating something I don’t understand. I don’t ask, I just walk away and leave it.

Once we reach the cars, Haley sits with me while Danielle goes with TJ. Sighing for the nth time tonight, I stare mindlessly out my window, wondering if sleeping beauty will be alright. I’m emotionally and physically exhausted from it all. Starting the engine up and strapping myself in, my lights beam in the underground car park surrounding us.

What a day.